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The Daily OrangeMLAX | Armed & Ready: Veterans come alive late in decisive 6-goal 4th for SU
By Pat DiSalvo
Posted: 2/27/06, 1:30 AM EST Section: Sports
The Syracuse men's lacrosse season started in an unexpected fashion on Saturday at the Carrier Dome.
The No. 5 Orange found itself behind No. 15 Army by two goals before three minutes had run off the clock. SU stormed back, but the shots finding the back of the net were not fired by familiar faces.
A slew of younger players and transfers carried SU early, and senior Brett Bucktooth tallied all four of his points in the fourth quarter as the Orange broke through the tough Army zone for a 14-10 comeback victory.
"They've (the young players) got to get their experience, and they're going to make us better at the end of the year," Orange head coach John Desko said. "They gave us points in a close game, that's huge."
Freshman Matt Abbott and Joe Yevoli, a Virginia transfer, scored two goals for the Orange. Yevoli redshirted last season at Virginia because of a back injury and then left the school at the end of the year. Although he played in his first game in more than a year, Yevoli has had game experience. But for Abbott, the situation was completely new.
The freshman from Nottingham High School received much less attention than the trio of recruits Pat Perritt, Kenny Nims and Dan Hardy, but played the most minutes of any freshmen Saturday, even in the tight contest.
"When the game's close, we'll tend to use them a little less sometimes, except for Matt, who did a good job today," Desko said.
It was surprising that Abbott played as much as he did, let alone score two goals. In his first collegiate game at the Carrier Dome, he didn't seem too rattled.
"Before the game, I was trying not to think about it at all, I wasn't expecting to play that much," Abbott said. "When I ended up playing, once you get into the game you just forget about everything else."
Abbott was forced to play early as the Orange fell behind the Black Knights.
Nearly eight minutes into the first quarter, Yevoli fed Abbott and the freshman fired the ball from about 10 yards out, beating Army goalie Adam Fullerton. Abbott raised his fist in the air in celebration of his first collegiate goal. The tally tied the score at two, and the Orange never trailed again, although there were several ties.
The No. 5 Orange found itself behind No. 15 Army by two goals before three minutes had run off the clock. SU stormed back, but the shots finding the back of the net were not fired by familiar faces.
A slew of younger players and transfers carried SU early, and senior Brett Bucktooth tallied all four of his points in the fourth quarter as the Orange broke through the tough Army zone for a 14-10 comeback victory.
"They've (the young players) got to get their experience, and they're going to make us better at the end of the year," Orange head coach John Desko said. "They gave us points in a close game, that's huge."
Freshman Matt Abbott and Joe Yevoli, a Virginia transfer, scored two goals for the Orange. Yevoli redshirted last season at Virginia because of a back injury and then left the school at the end of the year. Although he played in his first game in more than a year, Yevoli has had game experience. But for Abbott, the situation was completely new.
The freshman from Nottingham High School received much less attention than the trio of recruits Pat Perritt, Kenny Nims and Dan Hardy, but played the most minutes of any freshmen Saturday, even in the tight contest.
"When the game's close, we'll tend to use them a little less sometimes, except for Matt, who did a good job today," Desko said.
It was surprising that Abbott played as much as he did, let alone score two goals. In his first collegiate game at the Carrier Dome, he didn't seem too rattled.
"Before the game, I was trying not to think about it at all, I wasn't expecting to play that much," Abbott said. "When I ended up playing, once you get into the game you just forget about everything else."
Abbott was forced to play early as the Orange fell behind the Black Knights.
Nearly eight minutes into the first quarter, Yevoli fed Abbott and the freshman fired the ball from about 10 yards out, beating Army goalie Adam Fullerton. Abbott raised his fist in the air in celebration of his first collegiate goal. The tally tied the score at two, and the Orange never trailed again, although there were several ties.
